+`Confessions of a Son of the South, Part III+

Racism, ethnocentrism, and xenophobia are endemic in the American South and have been for over 300 years.  The ra cism is not as overt and violent as it was in the Jim Crow era, but still rules the region.  And the native while social structure and the norms and behaviors in that structure act tp ,aintain the forces of discrimination and oppression.

At the top of the social structure, more than a few white white politicians and businessmen use the thrusts to reinforce their own advantage.  These politicians fan the flames of fear and hatred on one hand, and do anything in their power to disenfranchise non-white voters on one hand, and and to use those flames of fury to stay in power.  And, a large number of wealthy whites form a local and statewide power structure which acts to willfully exploit non-whites in multiple weays.  

In the rural south there are many, many poor whites who struggle to get by day to day, and have little or no hope of ever getting our of the trap.  But, they do not want to see themselves as the bottom of the heap.  Emotionally, they need some other group to look down upon.  As a  onsequence, many in this group actively hate non-whites.  They  pathological racists.  Reinforcing this group are insecure whites in the middle class who fear that some vent will bring them down economically, nd feel that they need the buffer of racism.  

Finally, he majoirity of the white middle class simply "goes along to get along."They don't hate hon=whites, but do not wish to expose themselves and their families  to actions of social and economic reprisal  for speaking out against racism.  Many, many small and rural communities in the south simply do not allow visible action against racism  without imposing such social pressures.  

Finally, evangelical Christian churches in the south have always been supportive of racism, and still are today. The Southern Baptist Convention was formed in the 1840s to support slavery, actively supported racial segregation. Today they support it indirectly, by refusing to act against openly racist ministers and congregations.

The deep south is racist and always has been.It has invested the entire Republican party with its malovent virus. These facts must be faced and fought against.